Ying Yangs Aren't Always Black and White
by Eagle-Windstar
Summary: When Angela’s police department accuses a 17-year-old girl of murder, only John and Angela know that the victim was possessed. Gabriel re-appears, but what is another arch-angel doing on our plain, and why is this angel with crimson wings watching John?
1. Rights of the Accused

Happy Belated Birthday Chester! Okay, it was Chester Bennington's birthday from LP yesterday. Anyways, I think it's time to start this fic. My muse has decided to turn theological on me, and this is the result. Hope ya like it!

Title: Ying Yangs aren't Always Black and White

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: John/OC, Balthazar/OC, Angela/John

Summary: When Angela's police department accuses a 17-year-old girl of murder, only

John and Angela know that the victim was possessed. John is on a new case, and Gabriel re-appears along with some new angels. What is another arch-angel doing on our plain, and why is this angel with crimson wings watching John? Perhaps the answers all lie inside the girl with haunted eyes.

Spoilers: Some

Chapter 1: The Rights of the Accused

Angela Dodson took in the room with a glance. It was the usual scene of a drunkard's room, dirty walls and empty beer bottles strewn around haphazardly. The only difference was the dead body lying in a crumpled position on the stained rug. Pulling out her notebook, she tuned in to the chattering lieutenant standing beside her and giving her the details of the case.

"… the victim seems to have been hit in the head with a broken beer bottle, and then struck repeatedly with that brass lamp until dead." He paused for a moment as Angela jotted down everything he said, and then continued. "But the one thing that doesn't fit in is the hole in the victim's throat. Although I'm no expert, I'd say that it almost looks like something chewed through her neck."

"What?" Angela's head shot up, showing interest for the first time. Hearing that one line brought back memories of last summer when she had met John Constantine and had had some nasty run-ins with demons, among other things.

"Uh… I said it looks like something chewed through her neck, but that's not for sure. I'm getting a forensic team on it to see if there's any DNA we can check." The lieutenant was surprised at her sudden and avid interest in what he had been saying. He was quite used to being ignored.

"Miss Dodson," another voice suddenly called. She turned around and stopped. Two men had come up with someone in handcuffs between them.

"Miss Dodson, we think this young lady had something to do with the murder. She was snooping around below and tried to get away when we told her to stop." Angela nodded and listened as the man spoke, but blotted him out after a moment. She didn't need to hear anymore, she knew the rest. The blood that stained the girl's shirt and jeans were all the proof she needed.

"Bring her in for questioning," she said with a sigh. Turning to the photographer who was snapping pictures she said,

"Get a good shot of the woman's neck. I want prints of all the photographs you take on my desk tomorrow morning, understand?" she waited until the photographer nodded and then looked back at the lieutenant.

"I'm leaving you in charge for the rest of the night. You have full run of everything, just call if you need something." She smiled as the lieutenant eagerly stammered out a response. These days everyone wanted to be on top. "I'll see you tomorrow morning; bring me the case details as soon as you have them. Good night." Angela turned and walked down the steps of the apartment building and out into the parking lot where her SUV was waiting. She hadn't bothered to take a station car, they were slower and they never handled just right.

2 Hours Later

The shower turned off and she stepped out with a towel wrapped around her body. A warm shower had always calmed her down and tonight was no exception. But she had to take care of one last thing before crawling into bed.

Picking up the phone in her kitchen, she hit speed dial and waited until a familiar voice answered, "Hello?"

"Hey Chas, it's Angela. Is John in?" Angela waited for a moment as the brown-haired teen yelled for John Constantine to, 'Get his ass to the phone.'

"_What?" _snapped an impatient voice on the other line.

"John, it's Angela," the young police-woman said.

"_Oh. Hi._" John was never one for apologies. "_Just got back from a rough exorcism, this better be good._"

"Oh, I think it's worth your time," Angela said with a smile. "Meet me for lunch at the station, will you? I have something that I think you might want to deal with. Oh and how's Chas doing?"

"_Pretty damn good for what he was through. I wish he'd stayed in a coma a little longer though, he was quiet then._" John's voice was gruff but Angela knew how devastated he'd been when he'd believed Chas to be dead. When the hospital came and proclaimed Chas only unconscious with severe head and rib injuries, the famous John Constantine had almost fainted with relief. "_Is that it? I'll be there at lunch. This better not ruin my day._"

"Doubtful," she smiled. "I'll see you then. Bye." There was a click on the other line as John hung up.

"No," she smiled to herself, "not the flowers kind of guy.

Hey, sorry this is so short. It's just an intro and I wanted to get it up ASAP! So, review if you love it or hate it, I'd really appreciate feedback. Chapter 1 up soon!

Eagle


	2. The Insane Hear Voices, the Sane are Dea...

Hello again. Thanks for reading my fanfics so far, I'm glad you liked it. Special thanks go out to…

**Dane Lurex **– Thanks for the review! I really appreciate it.

**Anonymous** – Glad you two people liked it, keep reading.

**Ratatusk** – Thanks, the reason his was stuff was in italics was because they were on the phone and I wanted to show the difference in people talking.

**eris86** – I'm posting ASAP!

**Hosaki** – Glad you liked it!

**Pretenciosa Tampinha de Alumínio** – Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Constantine or any of its characters.

Chapter 2: The Insane Hear Voices, the Sane are Deaf

Angela opened the door of the care and walked in, sighing as she brushed a strand of hair out of here eyes. Glancing around she noticed that Constantine wasn't there. "Figures…" she muttered to herself, sitting down at a corner table.

A smiling waitress come up and took her order, pausing a moment to chat. However, she stopped talking when the bell above the door rang and John Constantine entered. Angela looked up at the frozen look on the waitress's face and couldn't help but smile. John was incredibly good looking, but his attitude and courtesy were a bit lacking. Not to mention he hunted demons, but she found that more exciting than scary.

"Is he looking for you?" the waitress whispered to her with a giggle, breaking Angela out of her revere.

"Yes, he's meeting me," she said quietly back to the waitress, slightly annoyed at being caught staring.

"You're the lucky on," she said with a smirk and hurried off to get Angela her cup of coffee.

John sat down as she left and looked over at Angela with calculating eyes. She wasn't the kind of person to randomly call you up for a lunch date, there was something going on and she knew it. It probably had something to do with an exorcism since she had called him in particular.

Angela broke the silence and his thoughts and began. "John, a case was called in last night a out a drunk being murdered in her own apartment. It was the normal procedure, except there was something different about her body, something that a normal human wouldn't do." She dug into a bag that was sitting beside her chair and pulled out a yellow file, sliding it to him across the table.

"I have some pictures here that I think you might be able to help me with," she finished. John nodded and opened the file revealing glossy photos of the woman's corpse. His eyes narrowed slightly at the hole in her throat, disregarding everything else but that.

"You think this had something to do with a demon," he said, stating it as a comment more than just a question.

"What do you think?" she asked as the waitress came back with her coffee and handed a second cup to John.

"Well," he paused to take the coffee. "I think that this woman was possessed before she died and a demon chewed it's way through out of her throat. Do you have anyone in custody?"

Angela frowned. This was where it became complicated. "Yes… we do," she said quietly.

"Who got charged with it this time?" Constantine asked, a bored note clearly in his voice.

"A 1-year-old girl by the name of Aerin Kensington. She was picked up at the apartment complex with the victim's blood on her hands and clothing. She's been protesting that she had nothing to do with this murder, but the police chief doesn't buy it. They had a psychiatrist in early this morning at the stating and he did a few tests on her. Apparently she's been diagnosed as 'disturbed' with severe depression, schizophrenia, and an unhealthy obsession with death, heaven, and hell." She looked up at John for a moment to see his reaction to all of this.

"I was already called crazy before," he said shortly. "Let me guess, they locked her up in that hell-hole of a mental institute. Something tells me that this girl knew that woman was possessed. Any chance of her being charged with something like self-defense?"

Angela shook her head. "They want this cleared up as soon as possible. I think that they're going to pin it on this girl, but she won't get jail time. She's going to be locked up in insane asylums for a very long time if my superiors have their way." Her frown deepened. The justice system had ceased to be entirely fair a long time ago, but she had seen the look on Aerin's face when confronted with the image of the victim. It had been one of genuine pain and suffering.

She took a sip of her coffee and then continued. "They won't take the ramblings of priests in their investigation either. If the dead woman really was possessed, they won't believe it. At the moment that's the only proof I have that she wasn't involved with this murder.

John leaned back. "So you don't think she did it?"

"I doubt it," Angela responded "I don't think that she's quite capable of murdering out of just cold blood. I have a feeling that there's more to this than what's coming to the surface."

"All right," Constantine said. "Let me see the pictures and I'll pay Midnite a visit to see what's going on in the Underworld. I think you're right, there's something going on." He took the folder and stood up.

"Oh," he said suddenly, "Is she allowed visitors?"

"I'm not sure but I think so," the police-woman said cautiously. "Why?"

"I might send Chas over," the exorcist said. "He's pretty good with people and he might get something out of her that the police didn't. Not to mention it'll get him to shut up about letting him help me." He smirked fondly. "I'm going to get out of here now, I have some work to do."

"Right," Angela nodded "I'll give you a call tonight and tell you if I've gotten any information on the case."

"I'll be looking forward to it," John snickered. He stood up with the file, and left the café.

"So will I," Angela smiled, "so will I."

TBC...

Sorry, another short chapter. Chapter 3 is coming soon. Review please, and hope you liked it!

Eagle-


	3. Eight Deadly Sins

Okay everybody, here's Chapter 3! Glad everyone has liked it so far, I'm updating as soon as I have time to sit down and type. Special thanks to the following for reviewing…

**Falcon Horus** – I think that humans are in denial when it comes to un-explainable things,

so I think that they might try not to call it something supernatural.

**Jessica** – Thanks!

**Hosaki – **Thanks for the review.

**Telperien of Numenor – **I'll keep updating!

**Crusader Ari – **Thanks!

**eris86** – Glad you are enjoying this!

Disclaimer: I don't own Constantine or any of its characters, but I do own Aerin and other original characters.

Chapter 3: Eight Deadly Sins

_Los Angeles Mental Institute, Room 709 _

Chas sat in the lobby of the huge hospital/mental institute and glanced around him with distaste. He hadn't liked this place when he and John had come here the first time, and he liked it even less now. The sterile white paint, the silence with the occasional noise, and once even a scream had made him edgy and irritable.

"Who gives a lobby a freakin room number?" he muttered to himself, being careful not to attract the attention of the nurse behind the window who looked as if she could take care of herself in a bar-room brawl.

"Mr. Kramer?" Chas looked up and a man in a white uniform was standing there with a clipboard.

"Yeah?" the teen answered.

"Miss… Kensington is ready to see you now. There will be guards outside the room and you will be monitored while speaking to her." He jotted something down on his clipboard and waited for Chas to get up and follow him.

"Monitored?" Chas asked as he got up and walked over to the doorway.

The doctor coughed lightly. "Yes, but just to make sure that she doesn't become… violent. None of your conversation will be recorded or listened to, if that's what you're concerned about."

"Oh, yeah, violent, right," Chas stammered. "This place just looked so cheerful I forgot it was a _mental_ institute," he said with sarcasm.

The doctor just gave him a measuring glance and said, "Follow me please, Mr. Kramer."

The brown-haired boy followed him down a hall and around a couple of left and right turns. He passed rooms with doors shut, but once he swore that he saw someone watching him through a crack in the door. Walking just a little bit more quickly, he was almost on top of the doctor's heels, almost running into him when he stopped before a slightly larger door with a window in the top.

"This is the room where the patients meet with visitors. Miss Kensington will be along in a moment, and then you will have a half an hour to talk to her. Please go in and make yourself comfortable."

"Uh, thanks," Chas called over his shoulder as he walked into the room. There was a couch, table, and a couple of chairs with a lamp, some magazines, and a fake potted plant in the corner.

"This place is just so welcoming," he sighed out loud.

"Isn't it? They do everything they can to close your mind from the world. They remove colors and individuality, only opening your mind when they want to pick through it as if you're a clock, trying to see what makes you tick." The words came seemingly out of nowhere.

Chas jumped and whirled around to face the door. "You're Aerin Kensington?" he asked, unable to keep the slight disbelief out of his face and voice.

He was surprised, the slim girl in front of him was not who he had expected. She had tawny hair falling midway down her back and a slim face. Her figure was hidden slightly by the institute's gown, but he was guessing that she was quite thin. All in all she was attractive, not gorgeous but not average. However… her eyes. They drew Chas's to them until he could not look away. Wide blue-gray eyes with the barest hint of gold flecks in them, they were tired and innocent. But they held the look that you rarely ever find, the look that the hunted wear when they have been caught and are resigned to their fate, the haunted glance that comes in deepest sorrow.

"I was just… expecting you to look… well, what I mean is…" His mind was failing to form coherent sentences, he was just babbling.

A tired smile graced her face for a moment. "You were expecting a wild-eyed mad-woman?" she gave a small, bitter laugh. "Why are you here Chas Kramer? If it's to gawk at a murderer, go to the prison."

Finally he was able to say something to that remark. "I'm here for a friend, Angela Dodson."

"That police-woman?" Aerin frowned. "I remember her. She… was more sympathetic than the others."

"Yeah, she doesn't think that you killed that woman," Chas said. He looked at her, waiting for a response.

"She doesn't, does she?" the accused murmured. "Well that's interesting. And why in heaven would she say that? She heard that idiot psychologist's diagnosis. Why doesn't she think along with the other officers?"

Chas paused. He wasn't sure if he should say anything, but for some reason he couldn't help but tell her the truth. "She said that after talking to you she was almost positive that you didn't kill that woman. And…" he stopped. "At first I wasn't sure I believed her but now that I've seen you, I agree."

Aerin walked forward slowly and sat lightly on the chair across from him. "I see. Well Chas Kramer, you have earned my attention and my trust. I hate people who lie to me as everyone here does, and you have told the truth. What is it you want to know?"

"Umm… how do you know my name?" he asked curiously.

She gave a half smile. "I heard the doctor's mention it. I'm not as oblivious to the world as everyone thinks I am."

"Oh. Right. Anyways, what I'm here to do is see if you can tell us anything that can prove your innocence. Did you hold anything back from the police?" he looked at her sharply, gauging her reaction to the question.

"I told them everything that I could," she said simply.

"Is there anything you didn't tell them because you couldn't?" he asked again. This girl was a bit like John, she evaded questions by seeming to answer them but never really telling anyone anything. The only way to get the truth out of John was to ask the right questions and he was guessing it was the same with Aerin.

"Yes."

"What was it?" At this question she paused and frowned.

"Would you believe me if I told you?" She sounded skeptical and Chas knew that he was going to get some answers.

"Yeah, I would," he said and leaned forward slightly to hear her answer.

"There was something wrong with that woman. I think I know what it was, but I'm not sure that anyone believes me. I made the mistake of saying something to the doctor and now I've been accused of being obsessed with heaven and hell. I'm not obsessed, I just _know_, don't ask me how because I can't explain, that they're out there and they exist." She stopped for a moment and Chas nodded for her to continue.

"That woman… I had been on the roof of the apartment because the moon was full and I wanted to be above the lights to see it. I was walking down the hallway when I heard a scream. I knocked on the door and it swung open, but I don't know why because it was latched. And… she… she was hanging there on the ceiling, her eyes were cold and inhuman, she was screaming in this language that I'd never heard before and laughing. She… that thing, lunged for me and I grabbed the nearest thing to hand, a beer bottle. I swung it and hit her in the head but it didn't matter, she just fell back and then jumped for me again. I tried to run but the door swung shut and then her throat started to almost, this sounds crazy, bubble. Then she was suddenly screaming for real, a human scream, because there were these teeth coming from the inside of her throat." She stopped again and Chas waited for her to continue.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door startling them both, and causing Aerin to jump. "Five minutes!" the doctor called.

"Quick, finish what happened," Chas said to her. For a moment he wasn't sure if she'd heard what he'd said, her eyes were watching something far away. But after a moment, she began to speak again.

"I didn't know it, but someone had already called the police because of the noise while all of this was going on. I was just transfixed by those teeth protruding from her throat. While I stared, they began to chew their way through and then the head of this, this _thing_ came through followed by its body. It was horrid looking, something straight out of hell. It hissed at me, and there was the woman, blood pouring from her throat, but she was still alive. That thing saw her and grabbed a lamp. It swung it at her and hit her more than once, I don't know how many times. Everything had started to blur together and I can't… tell for sure what happened after that. There was a flash of light, or something, it almost looked like it came from something bright and round like the sun. When I could see again that thing was gone and the woman was lying on the ground, dead. I was covered in blood from where that thing had hit her, and I knelt down beside her to see if by some chance she was still alive. That was when I heard the police sirens. I panicked and ran, but they caught me since I couldn't slip away fast enough, they had blocked everything off and I didn't have a chance. After that… everything's sort of surreal and now… I'm here." Her story finished, she leaned back in her seat and pulled her knees up until she was curled up cat-like in the chair.

Chas quietly and inconspicuously turned up the tape recorder in his pocket. He'd almost gotten everything out of her that he needed, he only had to ask one more question.

"Aerin," he asked gently, "What do you think really happened that night?"

"I think…" she began, but the door started to open with the attendants. Her head turned for a moment, and then she looked at Chas again with a kind of pleading in her voice. "I think that woman was possessed and that thing was a demon, but I don't know anymore. With all they've done I've really begun to believe that I'm crazy. You-you don't know how important it is to me that you really believe what I'm saying."

"You know, I may understand what you mean a little more than you may think I do.," he said as the attendants took her by the arms and began to lead her out. But when they reached the doorway, she paused and turned for one moment.

"Chas. You know the seven deadly sins, Greed, Gluttony, Envy, Anger, Sloth, Pride, and Lust? You haven't heard the full story because there's one more. The eighth deadly sin is Denial. Ignorance and hate, violence and pain all come from Denial. Never forget that Chas, please never forget that." At the urgency of their pulling, she followed them out of the room and the door closed.

"Well, that wasn't what I expected," he commented to the empty room. Reaching down he turned off the recorder, stood up, and left the room.

_Los Angeles Police Station, 205_

"_**Well, that wasn't what I expected,"**_ echoed Chas's voice as John Constantine switched off the tape player.

"Well, you got her to say more than I ever thought you would," Angela said to Chas with a smile. Good job." Turning to John she said, "Aerin's quite an interesting person, wouldn't you say?"

"I'd say that she's saner than half the people in that damn building," he snapped. "The thing is, if what she says is true, demons are doing more than violating the balance. And I have a feeling that the light she saw was more than just a pair of headlights. I'll pay another visit to Midnite, he wasn't exactly what you'd call helpful last night."

Angela nodded. "I'll talk to my superiors and see if I can convince them to look more into all of this." She sighed and John noticed how tired she looked.

"This'll all be over soon if I have anything to say about it," he said more gently. Angela looked up at him and nodded with a smile.

He and Chas said goodbye and left, closing the door behind them.

"You know," Angela said, "I almost believe you."

TBC…

Hey, how was Chapter 3? Good? Review and tell me what you think. Until the next chapter.

Eagle


	4. The Unseen Are Never Forgotten

Wow, I'm doing a really good job of putting up chapters almost every day. Glad that everyone has liked this so far, I really hope I can keep up to your standards. Anywho, here's Chapter 4. I'm feeling lazy and I won't put up the list, but thanks to everyone who's reviewed. On with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Constantine or any of its characters but I do own my OC's.

Chapter 4: The Unseen Are Never Forgotten

_Los Angeles Police Station, 205_

_One Week Later_

"Listen, if you'd just take the time to review the case before you sent it, I'm sure-" Angela was cut off by the angry voice of the judge.

"Dodson, enough! I'm tired of hearing your protests that this case isn't what it seems! That delinquent girl murdered that woman, god knows why, and mutilated her body. I don't care if she sees angels or demons or anything that you may come up with, she's been sentenced and she's going to be staying in that hospital for the rest of her life if I can help it." The man leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, staring at the woman in the chair across from him.

Angela stood there, her jaw clenched. "Your honor," she began, "You had no sufficient proof to convict that girl. She had no motive and nothing to gain from that woman's death. In fact, she had no connection with that woman in the first place. You convicted her on pure guesswork because you didn't want to have to dig around for the truth." Her eyes were angry and she was standing now, leaning over desk.

"You… what…" the judge couldn't get anything out for a moment until he pulled himself together. "You can't do this!" he yelled finally. If you tell anyone what you've just said, I'll-"

"Lose your position," Angela finished. "I know. You should have thought about this before you convicted an innocent girl of murder!"

"Do you know that she's innocent?" the balding man challenged. "I have no proof that she's guilty, but do you have proof that she's innocent?"

She sighed. She was caught here, she had no evidence that the police would accept of Aerin's innocence, except Aerin's testimony. Then an idea struck her. "Your honor, how about a compromise? I won't say a word about your… verdict, if you'll get Aerin out of that mental institute."

"What is this, blackmail?" the judge snapped.

"Why of course not," Angela said with a smile. "It's just an agreement between friends."

"There's no way that anyone will go for this," he scoffed. "You'll never manage it."

"What if she was staying with someone? Say, someone who's helped out the police force before and is also a public servant? This person would monitor her and she'd be under a sort of house arrest."

The judge paused. "I… might be able to pull a few strings. Who is this person anyways? You must think highly of her."

"Her?" Angela laughed. "Oh, this is a man, John Constantine."

"Constantine? Have you finally lost whatever sense you ever had? That man is involved in cult-like activities, supposed magic, and is all around a dark character. You want to put a convicted murderer in his care?" The man had jumped to his feet and was staring at her, his face beet red.

"John Constantine is a very level-headed man whom many people trust with their lives. He is an avid church-goer, already has one child living with him under the jurisdiction of the law, and is intelligent and resourceful." She smiled slightly at the irony of the situation. An avid church-goer? Hah, Gabriel wished.

"Well…" the judge paused. "Perhaps I'll be able to do something about all of this. However, if she stays with this John Constantine, they will be receiving visits from a social worker every other day and she will have to talk to a psychiatrist at that time as well."

Angela sighed. "I suppose that I'll have to accept that." Inwardly, she was ready to kick herself. John would never agree to have someone come into his house and check up on him. Of course, she hadn't said anything to John yet. The idea had just struck her, and she'd had to act quickly with the time she had. "Give me a call when you've arranged everything," she said, handing the judge her card. "I'll be waiting to hear from you." Turning, she left the room.

"You'll hear from me soon enough Angela Dodson," the judge muttered. "You may have me cornered but I swear you'll never find any evidence that she's innocent." Picking up the phone, he dialed a number and waited.

"_**What is it?"** _asked the voice on the other line.

"You were right, she came just like you said she would," he answered. "I acted like I had to give into her. You were right about where Dodson wanted that girl to stay as well. I'll keep an ear open and tell you whatever I hear."

"_**Not bad. You're doing better than I expected."** _The person on the other line laughed cynically.

"Well then, I think it's time we started talking about my, shall we say, rewards?" the judge asked. "If I've been doing everything that you expected…"

"_**Very well. You know where to meet, come there tonight at midnight. I'll be there with your payment."** _There was a click as the connection was cut.

"Finally," the man smirked. "I'm finally about to get what I deserve. After this, nothing will be the same…"

_Somewhere else…_

The man who was on the other line of the phone smiled and paced back and forth slowly. Things were falling into place much more quickly than he had expected. After cutting that deal with those higher up than him, he was ready to work… and this time… he wouldn't fail.

_Midnite's Club _

_Three Nights Earlier_

Constantine strode down the hall into Midnite's bar paying no attention to the light that bathed everything in red, and seemingly no attention to the bouncer in front. As the card was held up in front of him he shot out, "Three cats under a table," and brushed through as the rope was unhooked in front of him.

The music blasted around him and the loud bass reverberated in his chest as he pushed his way through until he reached the bar. Throwing himself onto a stool, he barely glanced up as the bartender came up in front of him, cleaning a class with a rag.

"Triple, on the rocks," he said, turning his head and running a hand through the dark hair at the back of his neck. Around him bodies were moving and dancing, lights flashed and sound pounded around from all sides. He didn't notice the body that slid into the seat beside his until they said,

"Drinking again John? Don't you think you should have learned your lesson?"

"Gabriel," he sighed agitatedly. "You really aren't in any place to tell me what to do anymore." Pausing he added, "Oh by the way, how's it going being human again?" with a sarcastic smile.

"Oh don't be so bitter John. I'm not. I'm just saying that you should try to take care of yourself. You were given a third chance, most people don't even get a second."

John looked at the ex-angel sideways, reaching out to take the glass offered by the bartender. "Spare me the damn sermon, Gabriel. I'm not here for it and you already know that, so let's get down to business."

"Business, John? What business do you have in mind?" Gabriel smirked slightly, it had always been one of his favorite pastimes to aggravate the exorcist.

He leaned forward and tersely said, "I need to know what's going on with hell these days, and I need to know it now. Demons don't normally chew their way through drunken women's throats. When you and Mammon were trying to take over the world, yeah, I could see this. But now what in hell is happening?"

"I really am not in any position to tell you anything, as you just reminded me. Even if I am an angel no longer, I still have obligations to uphold." A smirk graced the fallen's face.

"Damn it Gabriel, I'm not in the mood for this. Midnite won't give me any information, there aren't any high-ranking demons around since I deported Balthazar, and you're the only angel around that might know something important." John clenched his jaw.

Gabriel looked at him. "Very well John, I can tell you one thing. Don't think that things are gone just because you can't see them anymore. When God closes a door, he opens a window. Don't you think that the same would apply in reverse? To every back there is a front, to every black there is a white. Look for what is forgotten." The ex-angel carefully rose to his feet.

"Thanks, that was as clear as anything I've heard." John drained the last of his drink and set it down on the bar with a clang. Standing up beside his 'companion' he turned around and headed for the door that led to Midnite's room.

"If only you knew John," Gabriel sighed. "What's coming."

_Present Day_

_2 Hours after Angela's Conversation with the Judge_

_John's Apartment_

"What the hell did you just say?" John yelled as Angela sat at his table, sipping a cup of coffee.

"I told you, I need you to let Aerin live with you for a while. At least until I can get sufficient evidence to prove her innocence. I'm sorry about the psychiatrist and social worker part, but that's the only way I could arrange this." She tipped the mug up again and took a drink of the bitter, pure black caffeine.

"I already have Chas living here until further notice, I can't have someone else. Oh, and if you didn't notice, she's a _female_ and not a male like everyone else in my residence!" He pulled out a stick of gum and thrust it into his mouth. It was days like these he wished he could just grab a cigarette and a beer and relax.

"John, I need you to do this. I have a… a feeling that she's an important part in what's going on. Don't forget I still am a 'powerful psychic.'" She smiled slightly at the look on his face when she said that.

"Fine. O-fucking-kay but I don't want to hear anything else about this until she's here, got it?" He threw himself into another chair and groaned. "By the way, Chas'll be back from the store in a little bit. You're going to tell him about all of this, not me. Got it?"

"Of course," Angela laughed. "I'm sure he'll be ecstatic. I need to go and fill out some forms to allow her to stay here with you. I'll give you a call and tell you when she'll arrive tomorrow night. Well, goodnight, John Constantine. See you around." She put the dirty mug in the sink and left the apartment.

"How do I get pulled into these things?" John muttered tiredly to himself as he put a hand over his eyes. Closing them for a moment, he stared at the back of his eyeslids until the slightest noise caught his ears. To anyone else, it would have been nothing, but years of experience had trained him to be able to recognize the sound of angel's wings when he heard it. Getting up and striding to the window where he though the sound had come from, he threw it open and looked down. A single crimson feather lay there, moving slightly in the evening breeze. Picking it up and looking at it with confusion, he said out loud,

"What angel has crimson feathers? What the fuck is going on?"

TBC…

There we go, Chapter 4. Hope you like this one too, I got it out ASAP. Cheers and Happy Easter everyone, peace!

Eagle


	5. All That is Forgotten is Not Lost

Okay, once it's Easter time again! YAY! Time for chocolate eggs and marshmallow peeps! (Not that I like peeps, but they're fun to blow up in the microwave… Don't ask.) Anyways, on with Chapter 5!

Disclaimer: I don't own Constantine, but my own characters are mine. If I did own Constantine, do you really think that I'd be living in the middle of nowhere? Yeah, right…

Chapter 5: All that is Forgotten is Not Lost

_Two Days Later_

_John's Apartment_

Aerin looked at the letters that spelled 'Bowl Bowl Bowl' on the faded paint of the building through tinted sunglasses. She sighed inwardly and picked up the single suitcase that contained all of her worldly possessions. This was going to be her new home, at least it was according to Angela. Angela… she was one of the few people that she had met that treated her as if she was human. Everyone else lately just stared and whispered behind her back.

"Come on in Aerin," Angela said, not unkindly. Wordlessly the girl followed her in through the door and up the stairs until they reached the door of John's apartment. Her eyes took in the symbols that were carved around it, but she wasn't able to pick out any that she knew.

Angela reached up and knocked on the door. A moment passed before it opened and John glanced out. Seeing who it was, he opened it the full way.

"Well, looks like you're here on time," he said. "That's surprising for you Angela." Aerin glanced up as Angela smiled.

"I could say the same for you John. But before we start to argue, John, this is Aerin Kensington. Aerin, this is John Constantine." Aerin nodded as she was introduced. John stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do.

"Well, come in," he said shortly before turning and walking to the coffee maker. Aerin paused for a moment and then walked in tentatively.

"Aerin, I need to go take care of the rest of the paperwork about all of this. I'll be back tomorrow. The social worker will be here at 7:30." The woman smiled at the girl, letting her hand rest on her shoulder for a moment. Aerin nodded silently and watched as Angela left. Then turning, she faced John again.

"Well…" he stopped. What was he supposed to say? He finally settled on, "Take off your glasses, you can't really see with those on, can you." What he said was more of an order than a question.

She complied and reached up, sliding them off her face but keeping her eyes lowered. For a moment she didn't move, but then she looked up and faced the exorcist.

This was the first chance that John got to actually look at her, and he examined her while she did the same to him. Chas had said she was pretty, which she was, but there was more to her than that. And her eyes… he had seen that look before.

Aerin saw a handsome man, tall with deep eyes and dark hair that curled slightly on the back of his neck. Wearing a tie, slacks, dress shirt, and formal shoes, he looked like he belonged in the office. Well, he would have if he hadn't had the aura of danger around him.

Aerin, surprisingly, was the first to break the silence. "What are the symbols on around the door for?" The question was simple and quiet, but it seemed to echo in the space.

"They keep out demons. A shield, if you want to call it that. But after your run-in, I wouldn't think you'd like to hear anything else about demons." He turned around and pulled out the coffee pot to pour himself another cup. Tilting his head slightly as he turned around, he waited for her response.

"I suppose that I have no choice but hear things about them if I'm staying here," she said quietly. "And also if I'm supposed to talk to a counselor." She smiled mirthlessly. "It's kind of ironic, isn't it? You're sane if you're blind and you're insane if you can see." Shaking her head, she sat her suitcase on the floor.

"Hey, put that back here." He motioned to a corner of the apartment that had been curtained off. "You're bed's in there and a table."

"Thank you," she said softly. "I appreciate this."

"I know you do," he answered tonelessly. "You're not the only one who's been locked up in that god-forsaken institute.

"Angela… said something about you being in one when you were fifteen, but I didn't really want to bring it up." She looked shyly up at him through a few strands of hair that had escaped from behind her ear.

"Don't worry about being polite, I usually don't," he said bluntly. That earned a half-smile from her.

"Oh, John?" she asked hesitantly as if she wasn't sure if she could use his name.

"What?"

"Angela also mentioned that… Chas lived here too?" She looked uncertain.

"Yeah, he stays here. He's my apprentice." Noticing her slightly confused look, he sighed. "She didn't tell you everything, did she?" Aerin shook her head. "I'd better explain then," he muttered. Motioning to a chair, he said, "You'd better sit."

_7:27 PM_

_John's Apartment._

John watched as Aerin stood at the window and watched the road. She was waiting for the social worker to arrive, he knew. Frowning, he pulled out another stick of gum. What was going to happen when she did come? He had just finished telling her all about his job and answering almost all of her questions. She had been fascinated with the stories about demons and angels, heaven and hell. When he said that Gabriel was a regular informant of his, her eyes had widened considerably. He smirked to himself. That had been Chas's reaction.

A violent movement at the window drew his attention back to the girl. She had flinched back, almost as if she had been physically struck. Obviously, the social worker had arrived.

A knock on the door moments later confirmed his suspicions. Aerin stepped forward and opened it, touching the doorknob like it was something to be afraid of. She opened it slowly and a woman stood there that was anything but matronly looking. Her suit was immaculate, platinum blond hair was pulled back in a tight bun, and black rimmed glasses were perched on her nose.

"Ah, Aerin, I see that you're here," she said crisply. Almost shoving her way through the door, she took in the apartment with one glance. Turning to John, she walked over with her hand outstretched.

"You must be John Constantine. I am Annabel Stevens." John just looked at her outstretched hand and raised an eyebrow. The social worker frowned and dropped her hand.

"I will be here every other day at this time, along with Dr. Jeffers, the counselor. I expect you to be here as well. I will be taking account of everything, and I expect her to be taking her medications." Looking around, she pulled out a notebook and began asking John questions.

_8:15 PM_

_The House of Judge Peters_

"Finally, that fool girl is out of my hands," the Judge laughed. "I did what I was supposed to, and now Angela's out of my hair and I've gotten my reward." Looking down at the long, ornately carved wooden box on his desk, he reverently picked it up.

"Now, to see what's inside…" he whispered and slowly creaked open the top. The box was lined with dark red velvet and lying in it was an old but beautiful sword. The blade shone like cold fire and sloped down to the hilt, which was carved in the form of two wolves' heads facing in opposite directions. Both their mouths were snarling and where their necks touched at the end of the hilt, a deep red ruby was inset in the shape of the Star of David.

"Beautiful," Judge Peters breathed. Picking up the sword with careful hands, he turned it over. "Now," he whispered, "How to unlock your powers?" Speaking aloud he commanded,

"Sword of Gabriel, reveal your powers to me!" Nothing happened. Sighing in frustration, he went to lay it back in its box when the ruby began to glow. Pausing, he raised it to his face and peered at it.

"What the-" he began but crimson light exploded in the room. His yells were swallowed by the brightness as the wolves' eyes began to glow and he was pulled into the ruby. The clatter of the sword hitting the floor was lost in the empty house.

"_Fool," laughed a voice as the figure stepped into the room. "There's a reason you never strike a deal with demons." Laughter echoed around the room as a small round object caught the light as it was moved back and forth, back and forth across a hand. _

_The figure picked up the sword and re-laid it in its case. "A mere mortal could never use this sword anyway," he smiled and fire burned in the depths of his eyes. _

"_I'm back," he whispered and disappeared with the sword case. _

Outside the window someone else watched the lonely scene within the window as greed destroyed another human life. There was a rustle and the angel moved away. Its only noticeable feature to the trained eye, were the crimson wings that arched behind its back.

_10:25 PM_

_John's Apartment_

The social worker had finally left, and Aerin had gone to bed early. Chas had returned after that with some information for John. The two sat at the table and Chas filled John in on all that he had learned.

"So, that's what Gabriel meant," John muttered. "When God closes a door, he opens a window. And the same thing happens in hell. That bastard must have made a deal with some upper-class demons to get his way back out of hell after I deported his sorry ass back there." He leaned back in the chair and reached for a beer. "Damn you Balthazar," he growled. "How the fuck did you escape?"

TBC…

Okay, here's Chapter 5. Hope you liked it! What's Balthazar doing back on our plain? And who is the angel with the crimson wings? Chapter 6 up soon!

Eagle


	6. Red Poppies Grow Under Crimson Wings

Chapter 6! Wow, I never expected to be able to get out so many chapters in such a short amount of time. I'm glad that most everyone likes it, so I'll stop talking now and try to answer some of the questions that have built up in the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Constantine or any of its characters, places, or… anything else?

Chapter 6: Red Poppies Grow Under Crimson Wings

_June 23_

_Entry #57 _

'Today's the first full day I'm going to spend in the custody of John Constantine. He seems like a nice enough guy, but I'm not so sure. I think there's something going on that's more than just that woman killed by a demon. It's strange. Last night when Chas got back late, they thought I was asleep, and they started talking about what Chas had found out. All I heard were a couple things about a demon named Balthazar and an angel with crimson wings. I'm a little confused about what's going on here, I think there's more than they're telling me. But of course, I'm a supposed delinquent, I can't think they'd tell me everything. But of course, that's why I've borrowed some of Chas's books and I'm looking through them to see if I can get some answers. I'm going to do some research now, I'll write later.'

Aerin

_John's Apartment_

_June 23_

Aerin closed her journal and pulled the key out from around her neck, locking it. She looked up at the stack of old tomes that she had piled on the table beside her bed, and sighed. "I guess it's time to start working, huh?" she said to no one in particular. Picking up the nearest book, she began to read.

After two hours of hard reading, the sound of the key in a lock of the apartment stirred her out of the worlds that she'd been drawn into. "Probably John," she murmured to herself.

"Hey Aerin, you here?" Chas yelled. He and John walked into the apartment, and John threw himself into a chair.

"That prick just ruined another hundred dollar shirt." He ran a hand through the hair at the back of his neck. "What the fuck is with the exorcisms lately? Why the hell are demons trying to escape into our world again, if Mammon's still in hell? This must have something to do with Balthazar."

Aerin's ears had picked up the name 'Balthazar', and she was listening while still flipping through the pages of the book.

"Looks like it. You know, you could let me help out a little more," Chas began, but John cut him off.

"I'm already letting you help more by letting you watch. You almost died once Chas, I don't need another ghost following me around."

Chas sighed in frustration. "Anyways, where's Aerin?" he asked and then called again, "Aerin! You in here?"

"Yeah," Aerin called back. Pulling out a piece of paper, she marked her page and opened the curtains to step out. Looking at John, she raised an eyebrow. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Why do you ask?" John muttered.

"Because… you have blood on your shirt?" she looked at him a little more closely.

"Fuck, that cut must have opened again," he snapped at thin air. Getting up he walked over to the sink, wet some paper towels, and opened his put them over a cut on his arm.

"Do you need some help?" Aerin asked tentatively.

"I'm fine, fan-fucking-tastic," he growled. She looked a little taken-aback at his response, but she just walked back to her corner, opened the curtains, and then disappeared inside.

"Nice John that right there, that was called arrogance." Chas ran a glass of water and took a long drink. John just walked over to a cabinet and pulled out some alcohol, dabbing it on his arm with a slight hiss.

Aerin meanwhile was back to looking through the book when she came across an interesting section labeled, 'The Hierarchy of Angels'.

"That's odd…" she said under her breath. "I'm getting the weirdest feeling that this is important somehow," she began to read it carefully.

'_The hierarchy of angels is the order in which they fall in importance. The highest level of angel is the Seraphim, with Cherubim below them and the Thrones under Cherubim. The lowest level of angels contains the regular Angels, with the Archangels just above them. There are seven known archangels, the most common of which is Gabriel, but the others include Michael, Raphael, Anael, Samael, Sachiel, and Cassiel. At the present, very little information is known about Anael, Sachiel, and Cassiel. However, the Archangel Michael appears at least three times in the bible. _

_Perhaps the most commonly known appearance is in Joshua 5:14 when he says "As commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come."_

_He also appears in Revelation 12:7 - 'And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon.'_

_Michael is the head of God's heavenly army, and is said to wear armor whenever appearing in front of mortals, but his most distinguishing feature that separates him from other angels is his crimson wings. _

Aerin immediately stopped reading, her finger poised over the page. Crimson wings… the feather! Grabbing the book, she jumped through the curtain and skidded over to the table. John and Chas looked up in surprise.

"Aerin, what's up? You look like… I don't know what you look like." Chas said as he looked up at her.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to overlook that comment for a moment because of what I just found. John looked at her.

"What did you find?" he asked. Then, noticing the book in her hands, he said, "Isn't that one of mine?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry, I was curious about some stuff so I borrowed a couple, I hope that you don'tmind? Anyways," she paused to haul the heavy thing up onto the table, "I found something that I thought might want to know." She opened the book to the page her finger was holding, and pointed out the part about Michael.

John read through it, his face never changing. As soon as he was done, Chas pulled it over and read what Aerin had pointed out. After Chas finished scanning through the section, he turned to Aerin and smiled.

"Nice job," he said. "So we're dealing with Michael are we?" he leaned back and frowned. "At least I now know what to look for," he muttered to himself. Turning back to Aerin and Chas he said, "I'm going to pay another visit to Midnite's tonight. Chas, Aerin, are you two going to come?"

This time, both of them looked surprised.

"You're asking me to come?" Aerin asked, at the exact same time Chas said,

"You're asking her to come?" He looked over at her and then at John. "It took you forever to let me come along, and she can't even get in!"

John smirked. "And you can get in?" Chas scowled.

"I'm getting better," he glowered. Aerin couldn't help but laugh, the first genuine laugh that the two of them had heard her give.

"Well, I'm not sure what Midnite's is, but I think I'll figure something out." She smiled. Chas just sighed.

"Fine," he said. "But can we eat something, I'm hungry."

_June 23 – 9:30 PM_

_Midnite's Club_

Aerin looked at the outside of the building, it didn't seem like much. Shrugging inwardly, she followed Chas and John through the door. The red light closed around her, and the sound of barely repressed music flowed through the walls. John strode up to the man and, as he held up a card said,

"Dog under a tree." The man wordlessly moved the cord and John walked through, only turning around to see if Chas and Aerin got through.

"Aerin," Chas said, "Wait here for us. We won't take _too_ long." Turning to the bouncer who held up a card he said,

"Um…" he squinted for a moment, concentrating. "Hippo on a log?" The man once attain unlatched the cord, and Chas walked through. Aerin stepped up to the man who pulled out another card. A strange look passed over his face for a millisecond, and then was gone.

"Hippo on a log," Aerin said with a smile.

"You know John, it won't work," Chas said. "I remember when I tried-" he stopped and stared as the man pulled the cord aside.

"What the fuck!" he half-yelled as Aerin stepped through. "How… how did you…?"

Aerin laughed again. "I figured from the look on his face that he pulled the same card that you guessed. So… I guessed the same thing." She grinned. "I used to play a lot of poker. I guess it paid off?"

John smirked at the look on Chas's face. Looks like she did figure something out," he snickered. "Come on, Aerin needs to meet Midnite."

TBC…

There. How was Chapter 6? Like it? Chapter 7 up soon!

Eagle


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